This limited series explores how Africa’s trajectory is shaping the wider world. Each week, intergenerational conversations bring together innovative young changemakers and renowned global leaders including Juan Manuel Santos, Graça Machel and Helen Clark, merging local realities with global policy insights to tackle the challenges – and opportunities – shaping Africa’s future.
Hosted by Kenyan media personality and changemaker Adelle Onyango, alongside Mark Leon Goldberg, host of Global Dispatches, the series dives into urgent issues such as education gaps, the climate crisis, insufficient financing, and weak governance – always with a focus on solutions.
Listen now via the links below. New episodes released weekly.
Podcast episodes
Episode 1: Africa’s Role on the Global Stage
Africa’s influence on global decision-making is rising as the world’s youngest and fastest-growing continent – but will young people be given the power to shape it? Together, the guests highlight ways young African countries are navigating geopolitical shifts, increasing their role in multilateral forums, and leveraging demographic and economic momentum. This is a call-to-action for anyone who believes Africa should lead as an innovator on the world stage.
Guests:
- Jake Bediako – Director of Policy and Implementation for Global Citizen’s Move Afrika Initiative.
- Dr. Chukwuemeka Eze – Director for Democratic Futures in Africa at Open Society Foundations.
- Chido Mpemba – formerly the African Union’s Special Youth Envoy and currently the Advisor to the African Union Commission Chairperson for Women, Gender, and Youth.
Episode 2: Climate, Peace & Security Nexus
What does it mean to make peace with nature — and why could that be the key to lasting peace between people? Former President Juan Manuel Santos shares the extraordinary indigenous mandate that shaped his leadership, while Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim explains how climate shocks in Africa are driving conflict and migration. Khouloud Ben Mansour brings in the youth, peace, and security lens, stressing that climate justice must include women and young leaders at the table. Across the conversation, you’ll hear why African knowledge systems are vital to global climate solutions, and how reframing climate as a security issue could shift the way the world responds.
Guests:
- Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim – Chair of the Planetary Guardians and President of the Indigenous Women and Peoples Association of Chad
- Khouloud Ben Mansour – Tunisian junior diplomat and former African Union Youth Ambassador of Peace
- Juan Manuel Santos – former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Chair of The Elders
Episode 3: Global Partnerships and Delivering on Finance
Following the Financing for Development (FfD4) Summit, this conversation explores how ambitious commitments can translate into tangible outcomes for Africa’s sustainable growth. Guests reflect on key summit outcomes and discuss how governments, financial institutions, and the private sector can build meaningful partnerships. With practical examples, they highlight accountability, innovative finance, and youth-focused investments as drivers of African-led development.
Guests:
- Ambassador Dr. Chola Milambo – Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations
- Chidi Okpala – Executive Director of Group Integration and Strategy, Heirs Holdings
- Nabila Aguele – Chief Executive, Nigeria at the Malala Fund
- Tumi Mhkize-Malebo – United Nations Foundation Next Generation Fellow
Episode 4: The Trust Deficit
When trust in institutions crumbles, democracy suffers and progress falters. Chimdi Neliaku and Sierra Leone Minister Chernor Bah share on-the-ground lessons about building public trust in government through accountability and civic engagement. Joseph Asunka brings hard data from Afrobarometer on how citizens regard their leaders, while Samson Itodo underscores the power of grassroots organising to hold power to account. The guests converge on a core truth that trust is built by consistent, intergenerational fairness and action. Expect practical, people-centered ideas for strengthening the bond between African citizens and the systems designed to serve them.
Guests:
- Joseph Asunka – CEO of Afrobarometer
- Chernor Bah – Minister of Information and Civic Education from Sierra Leone
- Samson Itodo – Executive Director of Yiaga Africa and Convener of the Not Too Young To Run Movement
- Chimdindu Neliaku – Special Assistant to the Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives on Interparliamentary Affairs and Public Relations
